Life Insurance With and Without a Medical Exam

Life insurance can be medically underwritten, often resulting in a lower price.

Can I Get Term Life Insurance Without a Medical Exam?

When applying for a term life insurance policy, many applicants will be asked to submit to a medical examination. Typically, the exam is conducted by a nurse or other paraprofessional in the applicant's home or workplace. The purpose of the exam is to determine whether there are any medical conditions that could negatively affect the applicant's life expectancy.

Some term life insurance products require a medical exam for all applicants. Other products may require a medical exam in certain situations. Finally, some products may offer a term life insurance policy without any requirement for a medical exam or even medical history information.

The Advantages of Submitting to a Medical Exam

If an applicant is in good health and not of an advanced age, submitting to a medical exam should not be a major concern and could result in lower premiums for the applicant. When an applicant proves to be in good overall health, the risk to the insurance company that the applicant will die prematurely is much lower, and the company is more likely to offer a policy at a favorable rate. However, there are some important things to consider before submitting to a medical exam, including:

The medical exam may disclose a health condition previously unknown to the applicant.

Denial of the application due to a health condition could affect future insurance applications.

The examiner may find an indication of a serious health problem that is actually a symptom of a more benign condition.

Exams Are Not Always Required

As part of the application process, insurers will usually ask a series of questions about an applicant's lifestyle and medical history. Some companies will then reserve the right to request a medical exam only if the information gathered in the initial application raises concerns. For instance, a company might ask an applicant to submit to a medical exam if the applicant:

Is over a certain age

Is or has been a smoker or heavy drinker

Has had a history of a serious illness

Is currently taking a prescription drug

Is seeking a high level of insurance

Some companies will issue a term life insurance policy without any requirement for a medical exam. Typically, these companies will still ask the lifestyle and medical history questions as part of the application process. However, the companies will then set premium rates based on the applicant's responses to these questions, and no follow-up exams will be required.

And some policies are designed to be issued without asking any medical history questions at all. These policies are likely to be more expensive and offer lower coverage limits to account for the increased risk to the insurer.

A no exam term life insurance policy should never be viewed as a way to get coverage by failing to disclose a known health problem. A life insurance policy may be voided if an insured provides false or incomplete health information on the application.

For anyone interested in a term life insurance policy, with or without a medical exam, Matrix Direct can assist in obtaining reliable quotes. To start the process, simply fill in the form on the right hand side of this page.

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